


Day 16

by TLvop



Category: Atelier Escha and Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky
Genre: Friendship, Gen, New Job
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-24
Updated: 2015-12-24
Packaged: 2018-05-08 22:20:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5515397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TLvop/pseuds/TLvop
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Logy doesn't feel like a very good alchemist, these days, but regret's no reason to avoid doing his best by his Division.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Day 16

**Author's Note:**

  * For [NightsMistress](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightsMistress/gifts).



Logy’s at a loss for what to do, staring at the books in front of him. He’s already prepared all of the recipes he and his partner need, filed his side of a report on their item-gathering mission, double checked their stores, and tidied. There’s a lot of work to be done, still, but this isn’t like in the field, or Central City – here, he honestly can’t do any of it.

The person getting the real work done is his partner, a teenager named Escha. She doesn’t look too formidable, hair tied back in two ponytails with decorations, but the way she considers the cauldron in front of her belies that. She has a look of real, deep concentration! He’s tried watching her work-- out of the corner of his eye, so he doesn’t distract her. He wants to believe that by watching her enough, he’ll _get_ it – but the only way he can pick up on changes in the alchemy is the expression on her face. He’s not sure how you can trust a science that’s based on gut feelings instead of the data his alchemy relies on, but she’s turned out amazing results. You can do more with outdated equipment than he thought possible, even if it takes two or three times longer than usual.

He organizes the extra recipes, and gets up quietly. He’s careful not to distract her as he goes to set them by the atelier diary, but she looks up anyway as he prepares to leave. Her face is briefly startled, like she’s woken out of a dream, but it clears quickly into friendliness.

“Oh, Logy! Are you finished already?”

“Uh – no, I’m going to talk to Miss Marion. I prepared the recipes you asked for.”

“You’re such a hard worker,” Escha says, and smiles brightly.

Logy feels a pang of guilt. “Y-yeah,” he says, instead of debating that. “You too. I’ll be back later so, um, try your best, all right?”

*

Logy approaches the desk, and hesitates. Miss Marion is nearly hidden behind her stacks of paperwork. But before he can back away, she looks up.

“Logy!” she exclaims, straightening. “Do you need anything?”

Logy begins to shake his head, then stops. “I was just wondering if you had anything you needed help with. I’ve – run out of things in the atelier, for now.”

“Well! I sent Linca down to the town square to pick up more office supplies hours ago, and I haven’t seen her. If you could find her for me... ?”

“Yeah,” Logy says, relieved. “I can do that.”

*

Logy makes his way out of the office without having to talk to anyone, but he’s not so lucky on his way to the town square. He’s still trying to get used to how friendly Colseit is – it seems like more people know him here than at home! More people stop him in the streets, at least.

He finds Linca in a store the sells stationery, examining a letter opener shaped like a sword.

“Logy,” she says, not even looking as he approaches. She turns the letter opener in her hands, experimentally. He waits for her to continue, but she’s silent, before blinking up at him expectantly.

“H-hi, Miss Linca,” he says, unnerved enough to add the honorific. “Miss Marion sent me to look for you.”

“Oh!” Linca grips the letter opener, eyes widening. “Is she angry?”

“I don’t... think so. She seemed a little worried, maybe.”

Linca breathes out, heavy with relief. “You shouldn’t make Marion angry,” she tells Logy, with the tone of wisdom imparted.

“Thanks,” Logy says. “I’ll try not to.” That makes him think of something. “Hey, Linca – if you had to give any other advice, to me or Escha – what would it be?”

Linca looks worried, straightening as her eyes unfocus to consider this. Then she nods, sharp. “Don’t forget to exercise.”

“Oh,” Logy says.

“Or eat,” Linca interjects, pointing the letter opener at him, before he can reply. “Don’t forget to eat, either.”

“Okay.” Logy breathes out an almost laugh. “That’s actually really helpful. Thank you, Linca. Do you want me to help you buy office supplies?”

“It’s my mission,” Linca says, looking back across the stationery store with a look of faint concern. She returns the letter opener to its stand. “But -- thank you, Logy.”

*

The boarding house Logy stays at is in the town square, and he stops there after finishing with Linca. He has bread, and meat, and even a little cheese left in his room – he can make sandwiches to bring back to the atelier. Later – tomorrow, maybe – he’ll talk to Solle about how to budget for stocking rations.

He looks around the room when he’s finished making sandwiches, and sees his pajamas. Escha doesn’t have sleeping clothes at the atelier, he’d have seen them, and there’s no way either of them is going home tonight. He might not be able to do alchemy with a cauldron, but someone has to keep watch – and he can tell when something’s going _wrong_.

He tucks his folded pajamas into a bag, and puts the sandwiches – wrapped neatly in a towel – on top. Then he shoulders the whole thing and heads out.

It takes himself a moment to reorient himself before leaving for the orchard.

*

Clone is in the orchard when he shows up, considering an apple tree that’s blooming, he thinks.

“Miss Clone,” he says, stopping a polite distance from her.

“My oh my,” she says, and turns towards him, the device at the back of her head spinning. “Mister Logy. You are here to discuss the windmill?”

“Escha and I are working on that, still,” Logy says. Clone nods, a slight swaying as if in the breeze. “Actually, she’s working on it really hard – could I pick up some extra clothes for her? A change of clothes and something for sleeping. She’s going to have to spend the night at the atelier.”

“Is she?” Clone murmurs. “I hope she’s not making your job more difficult for you.”

“Ah – no,” Logy says. “She’s really not – it’s not any trouble.”

“Come in,” Clone says, and leads him to the house. He waits just inside the door, as Clone goes upstairs, trying not to stare too much at the inside. Only very wealthy people have houses anywhere near this big in Central City, and they aren’t made of carefully maintained wood and white plaster.

After a few minutes, Clone descends the stairs, steps as careful and precise as he’d expect of any automaton. Folded in her arms is another set of Escha’s normal outfit, and something covered in frills that he can only assume is a nightshirt.

He feels himself flush with imagined embarrassment at Escha’s reaction to him bringing her what is surely her childhood nightgown. “Oh, um, Miss Clone – thank you,” he says, arms rising to accept the stack as she hands over the clothes. “But does she have anything that -- it would be okay if she had to do alchemy in? Something neither of you would mind hurting.”

“Oh!” Clone said, and blinked. “My oh my... how silly of me. Of course.”

*

Logy makes it back to the atelier by sundown, with a change of clothes for both of them, a towel full of mildly squashed sandwiches, and dried apple rings that Clone had pushed on him for Escha. She really _is_ like his partner’s mother.

He knocks slightly on the door before entering, and Escha smiles at him.

“Logy! I was wondering if you were coming back,” she admits, blushing slightly.

“I said I was, didn’t I?” Logy replies, but he smiles a little to make it not seem like a rebuke.

Her blush deepens, anyway, and she ducks her head, looking at the cauldron. “Ah— you did, I’m sorry!”

“I was just— I’m not mad. Can you take a break? I brought dinner –”

“You did?” Escha stood up, and came over to where he was, as he took the sandwiches and apple rings out. She put a hand to the side of her face, excited. “Apple rings! Mm-mm. Did you go to the orchard?”

“Yeah, Miss Clone put them in.” He falters, suddenly realizing how weird the rest of it sounds. “I, uh, asked her to pack you a change of clothes. So you don’t have to worry about that, tomorrow.”

“That’s very sweet of you, Logy. I mean, it's thoughtful,” Escha says, distracted as she unties the bag of apple rings. “Have you ever had these before? They’re a Colseit delicacy! Not as good as apple tart – or hot apple jam – but when it’s not harvesting season...”

Logy helps Escha clear some space at the table, and sits. Getting provisions, and clothes, and advice – these aren’t his usual jobs. It’s even stranger to him than actually fighting monsters and finding materials in the field! But he finds, as he chews on an apple ring, that what he likes best is to put his time to good use.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy this, and have a great Yuletide!


End file.
